ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. chip — in a computer
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. pit — a hole
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. staff — employees
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — to protest
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. snap — to click
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. staff — a stick
  12. pit — in a race
  13. object — a thing
  14. chip — for betting
  15. staff — employees
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. chip — to eat
  23. cell — in biology
  24. cell — a phone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com